Dean Sittig, PhD, professor of biomedical informatics at the University of Texas Health Science Center, presented his case for The Joint Commission-like inspections focused in on health IT. We’ll see whether this comes to pass but he predicted increased government oversight of health IT. “I don’t think there’s any way around this. Something is going to happen.”

2. Healthcare challenges are pushing innovation.

And that innovation need not be grand and sweeping, said Lyle Berkowitz, MD, associate CMIO of Northwestern Medicine. Innovation can be big or small, complex or simple--“the important thing is how big an impact it has on the problem you’re facing.” Today’s healthcare innovators need to learn from other industries and “embrace innovative thinking.”

There is a continuum for engagement, said Christine Bechtel, president of Bechtel Health Advisory Group and advisor for the National Partnership for Women & Families. Patients are enthusiastic about the ability to access their healthcare information and she cited a survey that found patients with such access feel their physician is more trustworthy.

The current era of health IT investment is occurring in three waves: health information exchanges, EHRs and tools for health analytics, according to Robert Wah, MD, chief medical officer of Computer Sciences Corporation. As systems mature, they will go from simply reporting information and providing basic business intelligence to being truly predictive and offering better care coordination, he said.

Orlando is a far cry from the northern temperatures, although it was a bit chilly in the meeting rooms today. No complaints, though--palm trees are better than snowbanks!